Smoothie in Paradise vs. Smoothie Reality Check

This is one of many Mango Smoothies I enjoyed in Mexico. I ordered the fresh mango smoothie and a cappuccino from Fast Break Net, a healthy little place right on the beach in Sayulita. Aah!
OK, Reality Check!!! This is what sits on my desk in the morning after the gym and a stop at Jamba Juice. To be honest, I usually have low-salt V8 on ice, but I had some time, so Mango Mantra Lite was the drink of choice.

It was OK. The flavor was a little, well, fake. I drank the whole thing, only because I was starving after my workout. Will I go back, probably.

TWD: Chockablock Cookies

I will make these cookies this weekend...come back later!

Crooked Kilt, Paso Robles, CA

You know what they call this bad boy? The Hangover Burger. Love, Love, Love this big ass mess of a burger! Burger, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and a fried egg...REALLY??!!

I can't say much about the potatoes, but they were not fries, so I didn't touch them.

OK, the burger...YUM! Hung over or not this burger needs to be served in all 50 states.

Hello Men out there, yes, the waitresses wear crooked kilts...short ones.

New Product: Thomas' Bagel Thins

OK, I don't really care about the calorie count...Obviously, because I wasn't holding back the cream cheese. However, sometimes I don't like having a big FAT bagel with my smoked salmon and cream cheese. I know you know what I'm talking about.
If you're looking for the awesome bagel, this ain't it. However, if you want a quick breakfast and don't want to be so full you have to go back to bed, try the Thomas' Bagel Thins!!!

Thinking of Paris...mmm...Macarons at Le Panier

To be honest, I don't think I ever ate macarons when I was in Paris. I ate crepes while walking to Notre Dame. Escargot, moules and steak frites. Chocolate and delicious wines.

I remember a lot of cheeses...YUM.

How did I ever forget to eat REAL FRENCH MACARONS, when I was in Paris.

Le Panier is our little piece of Paris, in Seattle. Le Panier has some of the best breads, sables, tartes, and so many more French pastries, I cannot remember. Oh, and the best baguette sandwiches EVER. My favorite baguette sandwich...ham and butter.

Don't knock it until you try it!

OK, the star, or secret indulgence at Le Panier...the macarons. Some of my favorites: cafe, pistachio, raspberry, chocolate, orange-ganache, vanilla, and lemon. Actually, I think that is every flavor macaron at Le Panier. I must have bought one of each on this particular visit.

Hmmm...what a surprise.

This is my favorite, orange-ganache.

Here they are waiting for you to bring them to your home.

A little bit of Paris, right here in Seattle.

The San Francisco Treat!

After a long day of travelling and meetings, this yummy cocktail was a well deserved treat! OK, there's more to this story. On a recent trip to San Francisco for 2 days of meetings, my executive chef & I decided to walk from dinner in North Beach back to Van Ness, via California. No big deal, right? Besides, the cable car runs on California. If we got tired, we'd just take the cable car.

Off we go...Hello BIG ASS hills!

I forgot the SF hills, do they EVER END???

I lived in SF for many years (many years ago), obviously, I blocked out the memories of walking up and down hills.

Thank God for the Fairmont Hotel. Great place for a beverage to quench my thirst. Guess what cocktail I ordered...the San Francisco Cable Car.

Just in time and just what I needed!!!!!

Tartare de Boeuf at Campagne...tres bien.

Still the hot spot, Campagne continues to deliver. Late Friday night, Chef Daisley was sitting comfortably in the bar at Campagne. Even without a reservation, John and I were able to get a great table in the dining room. To be honest, we started spending more time Cafe Campagne...less stuffy. However, I don't know why I ever thought Campagne was stuffy.

Campagne doesn't remind me of any places in Paris, but I do think it is a cozy and romantic place to eat. I love the small tables, I love that everything is dim, I love that every table is a good table.

If you are in Campagne, the tartare de boeuf is a must.
I had the lobster salad as my entree. When the lobster salad arrived, I couldn't wait to take a bite - thus , no picture. Perfect blend of flavors with a very clear presence of LOBSTER.
John got the duck breast with sauteed greens and a cauliflower puree. OH MY GOD!!!
Seasoned perfectly and seared just enough to hold in all the juices. MMMMM!
We finished off with these little chocolate truffles, well, after we had Gateau Opera. There are a lot of layers in Gateau Opera (Opera Cake), so I like to savor every layer of ganache, buttercream, genoise...YUM.